Barry Willis

Thanks TJQ. I just came across it this morning, I have 10's of 1000's of pics on paper and looking for a particular one takes for ever and thank god I came across this one. I thought it was gone for ever. I think it's worth restoring and enlarging, framed nicely and hung on a wall.

Thanks to all my friends here at the Ontario Fishing Community for your kind compliments of the pics. My enjoyment by doing this comes from seeing others enjoy them. Makes it all worth while. I got involved in photography in 1962 and still do as much of it as I am able. Some of you fellows that are getting a little long in the tooth such as I may remember Mom and sometimes Dad (most times Dad would stay home and drink beer especially on Sundays while the rest of us were at church LOL) going to town grocery shopping Saturday mornings. I couldn't wait till they got home to see what the prize was in the cereal boxes. Some cereal boxes, Post was one I believe if you were to send two box tops to them you could choose a much better prize. Well my Mom did exactly that and got me a B&W 110 film camera. That is one of the best things she could have done for me at the time otherwise I'm not sure I would have gotten into photography. It took crystal clear pictures every time even by todays standards with our digitals Years ago many of my photos were featured in several magazines, mostly Big Buck Magazine for Gary Donald the publisher and Canadian Geographic and on television. Never attempted National Geographic as I didn't have the money for $20:000 cameras an zoom lenses and to travel to exotic places. One of my friends brothers found sponsors to do exactly that and in 1987 one of his photos made front cover of National Geographic and they awarded him with a cheque for $10:000. I never made that kind of money but I was looked after very well by other publishers, I mean what can be better than getting paid for one of the things you enjoy most. Not to bore you much more but I seldom left the house without the camera my mom got me from the cereal. I eventually wore it out as it wouldn't wind the film anymore. I have a photo here from it which to me is priceless and there will be no duplicating it that I will try and take a picture of with my canon digital as clear as I can. (if I can find someone reputable to restore it that's what I'm going to do) I didn't know it at the time but I obviously hit the shutter button as I was leaving the house to take pictures, and it was pointing at the the old wood and coal stove. My first stop was below Oxenden Falls to begin my day of photography and snapped a picture of the falls. To make this short I filled the film and Mom took in to town to the drug store for developing. A week of anticipation and sleepless nights Mom finally picked up the pictures. We didn't have a telephone at that time in order to call and see if they were ready for pick up. When you look at it you will see the falls which appear to be coming down upon the old (Findlay I believe was the make) stove and then running off the edge. You can see the hay field and trees out the kitchen window facing Wiarton with my Moms cactus's on the window sills and her tea pot sitting on the warming side of the stove. There is no way in Hell I could have done this on purpose. When I first saw it I was pretty ticked off and almost threw it in the garbage until I looked at it closer and realized what it was. it's one of the few accidents I have experienced in life that I am proud of HAHAHA I threw in a couple Canon shots of a Swainson hawk and some geese preening themselves after they had their breakfast. I had to use a big zoom lens for the geese as they were about 250 yards away. They turned out pretty clear considering I wasn't using a tripod. Thanks for reading if you got this far. Edit - The original B&W photo is crystal clear, I'm disappointed I couldn't get it clearer and sharper to post it. There. is no comparison.

I can certainly relate Bill, Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. Back in the day that I call the good old days. I sure miss them.

This is a really cool Picture, everything about it, I love it.

That's what I am hoping for come November.

Seven trail cams untouched for 93 days, I guess I should say six trail cams, I couldn't find one as I was in territory I'd never been in before and my GPS quit working. Sucks as that is where I seen the wolverine last trip up. Anyway, here is a few of the 2000+ the cameras took. Not all dates and times are set correctly on some of these cameras.

As always very nice Spiel. Your pride in workman ship is unsurpassed. I love that you labeled it the MOOSE.

Nice pictures Iggy.

Awesome Spiel, You out done yourself this time.

Yeah me too, I thought it was just my computer. Same thing. It just happened three times now while trying to type this short reply.

It's very nice Lew, that you and Diane were lucky to see that little guy. Kinda seems like a fathers day gift for you.

Very nice as always Spiel. I like the groove with the natural color of the antler, gives it some character. Happy fathers day to all as well from me, and yes, I am happy to say it did involve some fishing. Three pike, One hammer handle, a three pounder and the biggest being seven pounds, all from shore, fifteen minutes from the house. All caught on a cheap lure from the dollar store that I liked the looks of LOL.

In all the years as an ornithologist that I have studied and photographed birds, I have never seen a mallard with this many. Pics aren't the sharpest as I was a long way off and the camera and zoom lens I had with me that day obviously weren't the best for this. At this same spot years ago was a Canada Goose with 23 little guys.

I'm not a bit surprised Brian. One thing I have found, also with good results, is to present something different to the fish that they are not familiar with. I've found it works especially well in areas that have a lot of fishing pressure if any of that makes sense.

That looks like a decent perch there Brian. I couldn't help but notice, you smoke the same cigarettes as me Hahaha. One would think after smoking for 56 years my curiosity would be satisfied by now...

My son in Medicine Hat sent me this.

Thank you, I thought for sure the old dinosaur computer here had finally threw in the towel.

Very nice to see, good going.

Every day for the past twenty years since we moved into this house I have watched Merlin falcons from the patio. In fact just saw one a few minutes ago looking for his supper. I've never actually seen one take a pigeon but there have been times when suddenly there's a cloud of feathers floating down into the back yard. I have found dead pigeons mostly in back alley's that a falcon has taken and consumed half the breast and never returned to feed on the rest. There are two guys in the neighborhood that have and raise pigeons and the falcons nest not far from them. It must be frustrating for these guys to lose so many to the falcons. Two years ago one of the guys was going door to door offering a $300:00 reward to anyone who knew where his white female pigeon that he just purchased was located. He must have payed a lot of money for that bird which to me makes no sense as he has to know of the falcons in the area.

Yes, casting from shore. next time i will be taking the boat, it's quite a big river with lots of islands where I can beach it and fish from the shore of them and even camp for a night or two.

Have they ever gone digital. Not surprised though.

Very true!

I actually enjoy the same thing out here Spiel, along with Osprey, my favorite, fishermen just like us.

You won't have to tell me twice.

Well I finally dusted the cob webs off myself and my fishing gear and got out and got the stink blew off me, Hahaha, first time in a little over a year, and three years previous. I must thank Crowman for this. I don't know how, but some how, he detected that I was in a rut, and I was, big time, and he mentioned that I needed to get out and go fishing. It took a while but I finally heeded his advice and sure glad I did. Can't wait to get out again. If it wasn't for your advise Rick, and I thought about it frequently, I'm not sure I would have. Thanking you very much just doesn't seem like enough. The wind in town here was 40 gusting to 60 out of the west which would have been perfect but when I got to my fishing hole, the Bow River, just 75km SE of town the the wind was brutal and out of the SE right in my face and the water was dirty but still managed to get my Kamlooper out far enough to get this brown. Not a big one but a nice looking one. Not the best picture as I didn't want to spend too much time with him as I intended to release him which I did of course as I do with most all my fish, but it sure made my day and broke the ice for the first fish caught on my new rod and reel. Thank You Rick.